We chatted about sandwiches and Top Chef — season six starts filming in an undisclosed location on April 27! To find out what sandwich he is totally sick of and who's his favorite Top Chef contestant of all time,

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PartySugar: What was your most memorable childhood sandwich?
Tom Colicchio: [Thinks for a minute.] My grandma used to make us these great little grilled cheese sandwiches that she served with a bowl of tomato soup. They weren't that special, she used Kraft singles, but they were made with lots of grandma love.

PS: Why do you think the sandwich is so essential to American cuisine?
TC: As a chef you spend the majority of the time on your feet. At the end of the night you throw a bunch of ingredients in between pieces of bread and eat it standing up. The sandwich works so well because everyone is so busy. It's a classic; everyone has sandwich memories. They're not that fancy and it's portable food.

PS: What do you predict will be the next big sandwich trend?
TC: Hmm. It will definitely be ethnic. Everyone keeps talking about bahn mi. It's like Banh mi. Banh mi. Banh mi. I'm so over Banh mi. We've already been there done that with barbeque pork and pulled pork. I think it will be something inspired by Indian street food. What are those Indian street food sandwiches called? It's a funny name? [Chicken frankie]

PS: What's one sandwich tip the average home cook should know?
TC: Don't overstuff! Especially when making a panini. People need to learn how to use salt. Most home cooks under season. You also need to understand how to use heat. Amateur cooks never know how to use heat.

PS: Who was your favorite contestant on Top Chef?
TC: You may be surprised, but it's Tiffani. She was really poorly portrayed. Her personality was not portrayed well at all. She's a great cook.

PS: What was the most shocking moment in the history of Top Chef?
TC: The day shooting was cancelled and I got a call from the producers asking me to come down and take a look at something. We were supposed to be in production but we had to push it back due to them shaving their heads. It was crazy. I couldn't believe it and it was my birthday! I saw the entire unedited video. It was terrible. Shocking. Absolutely shocking.

PS: Where are you filming Top Chef 6?
TC: I can't tell you that. The producers would kill me.

Food is most definitely a trend nowadays! People around the world are photographing their lunches and often scanning their lunches. Has anyone seen this scan of the Banh Mi sandwich? It's pretty cool and impressive! Check it out at http://jsx55.com/collections/featured/products/banh-mi

6 years

"Everyone" is talking about banh mi? Colicchio lives in a foodie cocoon world. I first enjoyed banh mi when I visited Vietnam, but outside of a few Vietnamese restaurants that I've since visited in the US, I haven't seen banh mi. They are indeed great sandwiches and could develop a much larger following outside of the ethnic foodie world that Colicchio thinks is "everyone."

6 years

Tom is wonderful. He loves straight forward, unpretentious cooking, but food that delivers a message to the senses. I hoped TC would give up, go away, and leave the viewers in peace. I feel a kinship with all chefs who devote their lives and bodies to their restaurants, and in Tom's case, lifting the bar to improve culinary standards.
I'm showing my age, because back in the day, I was simply too exhausted at the end of my working day to throw back a cold one, hit the market, share eggs and hash browns in the meat market at Hectors with the butchers, crash for a few hours before the world turned. God bless these men and women who manage to create beautiful food, make people happy, and somehow manage to have a life. I have enormous admiration and respect for Tom and his colleagues.
The meat market once had signs on its buildings bearing the names of the men who really existed. They were excellent butchers, human beings, and they worked their necks off. Now their names and signs are gone, I miss seeing them and remembering their worn faces, and thick, warm voices.

6 years

Hey guys,
For the record, its spelled BANH MI. The H is silent and after the N.

it's always interesting to me to hear about who they consider to be their favs. i liked tiffany and i agree that she wasn't necessarily given a fair shake.
as for the shaving heads episode WOW - that was really a shocker!